Grinding Solutions Ltd (GSL): Pioneering Mineral Testing
Grinding Solutions Ltd (GSL), an international mineral processing consultancy and laboratory testing facility, stands stronger than ever before. In the wake of the global pandemic, GSL has boosted its capabilities through a recent investment, ready to meet the evolving market requirements.
Founded in 2002, GSL started as a consultancy focused on comminution and has since expanded to offer a full range of mineral processing solutions. The company has developed a strong reputation as a global leader in fine and ultra-fine grinding and ceramic grinding media evaluation.
Today, GSL provides services across the entire mine value chain, offering innovative solutions to clients in metalliferous, industrial mineral, oilfield, and green energy sectors.
Company Philosophy: Supporting Sustainable Mining
Managing Director and founder, Nick Wilshaw, summarizes the company’s ethos:
“GSL is a mineral testing company with a global client base. Our ethos is to help our clients maximize their values and opportunities in order to meet the ever-increasing global challenges that the mining industry faces. It is very important to us as a company to see more sustainable mining and to help our clients reduce their mining and processing costs, their environmental impact, and help them work towards net-zero status.”
With an unwavering focus on innovation and sustainability, GSL aims to assist clients in overcoming the challenges of modern mining, including increasing environmental regulations, socio-economic requirements, and rising CAPEX and OPEX costs.
Nick further elaborates:
“The mining industry is facing far greater environmental regulations and socio-economic requirements before projects can even be considered. These often lead to increased CAPEX and OPEX, which then reflect on the viability of a project. These are necessary parts of modern mining. Our aim is to add value to the industry by working closely with mining companies and suppliers to help overcome these challenges.”
Comprehensive Range of Services
GSL offers a broad portfolio of mineral processing project experience, including services for the metalliferous, industrial mineral, oilfield, and green energy sectors. Their projects range from bench-scale tests to pilot-scale evaluations, covering everything from Coal to Gold and everything in between.
Nick explains:
“With our broad knowledge base and wide capabilities, we are able to offer our clients benefits through the whole mine value chain, assisting and advising appropriately at each stage of the process to maximize their return on investments.”
The company works closely with clients on routine test work and process innovation to help achieve substantial gains in process efficiency. This collaborative approach ensures that customers’ needs are met in the most cost-effective and timely manner.
Cutting-Edge Testing Capabilities
GSL’s 1500 m² facility conducts a wide range of standard and innovative testing programs for clients from across various industries. These include:
- Comminution
- Flotation
- Leaching
- Gravity testing
- Consultative test work across various commodities
GSL is not mineral material specific but applies its extensive knowledge and techniques to any mineral it works with. Recently, GSL has expanded its expertise into the emerging market of battery metals, working with graphite and lithium producers to help develop process routes in this sector.
As Nick notes:
“This thought process allows us to transfer knowledge from our precious and base metal work into new and emerging markets.”
Sustainability and Environmental Commitment
When assessing a project, GSL considers various factors, including waste management, energy consumption, and water use. The company works actively with environmental consultants to ensure that environmental and social governance (ESG) criteria are met. Many finance houses require ESG criteria to be met at an early stage before they will consider any investment.
Nick says:
“We are able to advise clients on how they can meet these strict requirements with the assistance of our environmental partners.”
Facing a New Future: Focus on Battery Metals and Electrification
The demand for battery metals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earths, has surged due to the growing need for electrification and renewable energy sources. GSL is at the forefront of the battery metal industry, working with several companies in the UK and surrounding regions to meet the rising demand for these critical materials.
Nick adds:
“One of the factors behind the increased demand for minerals testing is vehicle electrification. This is set to continue as a result of governmental and political pressures, so GSL is still upscaling and recruiting.”
GSL has worked closely with UK-based Cornish Lithium to help with lithium extraction from brines and hard rock, following successful bench and pilot testing.
Despite the obvious demand for lithium, GSL continues to focus on copper, cobalt, and nickel—all crucial elements for battery and vehicle production.
Investment in Growth
To meet this increased demand, GSL is continuing to invest in new equipment and capabilities. The company is also in the process of building an analytical laboratory to perform chemical analyses in-house, significantly reducing project timelines.
Nick expresses pride in the work GSL is doing:
“I am immensely proud to be part of an industry that contributes so much to the world and those in it. I consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to meet so many interesting colleagues and friends, and I look forward to being part of a more sustainable mining industry as it moves forward.”
Collaborations and Partnerships
GSL is collaborating with Minviro, an award-winning UK-based consultancy, to minimize impacts and optimize supply streams in a variety of mining and processing projects. Minviro specializes in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), helping quantify and reduce the environmental impacts of raw material projects, from mines to processing facilities and gigafactories.
Together, GSL and Minviro are committed to providing quantitative environmental insights into projects, empowering clients to mitigate impacts and make more sustainable decisions.
For more information, visit Grinding Solutions or reach out via email at [email protected].